Tag Archives: best tv opening title sequences of all time

There are some shows that have title sequences that are just as iconic as the TV shows themselves — remember The Beverly Hillbillies, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Gilligan’s Island, MASH, Star Trek, Cheers, The X Files, and Game of Thrones? As these title sequences demonstrate, there is a real art to the title sequence; however, sadly they have been on the decline since network televisions prefers very short or no title sequence at all, leaving more air time for ads.

Television critic Alan Sepinwall believes that TV opening credit sequences fall into one of three categories (excluding, of course, those lame, unimaginative ones that simply show photos and names of the actors): opening credits as (1) expository device; (2) as explicator of theme; and (3) as setter of mood. Examples of the first type (expository device), like Gilligan’s Island and the Twilight Zone, that explain a show’s premise through a theme song, narration, or image montage. Opening credits as explicator of theme, like Dexter, Star Trek, and Cheers, are short movies that explain what the show is about. The third type (setter of mood), like Game of Thrones or Mad Men, are brief movies that try to evoke the feeling or mood of the show.

According to ScreenRant, here are the top ten TV opening credit sequences of all time:1. The Simpsons2. The Sopranos3. True Detective4. Cheers5. Dexter6. Mad Men7. Game of Thrones8. The X-Files9. Cowboy Bebop10. Batman (1966)

According to Paste Magazine, here are the top ten TV opening credit sequences of all time:1. The Simpsons2. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air3. The Addams Family4. Star Trek5. Cheers6. The Twilight Zone7. The Drew Carey Show8. The X-Files9. Gilligan’s Island10. Game of Thrones